Tutelage
by Stonecreek
Summary: Chapter four is now posted. There's only so much a person can take before they put someone's head through a window. Tatsuki's been there and done that, so what's next? She intends to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. –** I love and hate Bleach. The endless fighting bores me, but I love the characters that inhabit this world. I tend to gravitate toward the neglected characters in whatever series I am into. For Bleach, it's Karin first, then Tatsuki. Since there is a lot more quality Karin fics on this site, I decided to start up a Tatsuki story, based on what I wanted to see happen to her after episodes 142-143 of the Bleach anime (because she got shafted for meaningful screen time, as always). Thanks you for reading (and hopefully reviewing). A disclaimer: I don't own Bleach; Tite Kubo and various companies do. I do not profit monetarily from this work in any way.

**Tutelage  
**

There's only so much a person can take before they put someone's head through a window. Arisawa Tatsuki was at that point. Truthfully, she'd already been there once today, but the urge was by no means out of her system. Seeing Ichigo again after taking her frustration out on him earlier in the day didn't make things any better. That he'd casually dismissed her and her friends as he left to who-knows-what fate made her blood roil anew. That, and feel miffed that there were no windows handy in the cavernous sublevel of endless rocks.

So when the weird man in the hat and clogs called their little group out and proceeded to tell them absolutely _nothing_, well, that was it. In the recesses of her mind, an alarm was blaring, telling her that this foe would not be beaten as easily as her childhood friend. However, Tatsuki was already well out from behind her hiding-place boulder and charging the scruffy shopkeeper with speed she did not know she possessed.

That she failed to even connect with the strike she aimed for his quirked lips was not a total shock, but it did piss her off that little bit more. The man, for his part, said nothing as he side-stepped too fast for her to see as she came at him again and again. With each missed blow, each act of aggression that did not land, Tatsuki became sloppier in her approach. Her breathing was ragged, her movements slackening; his countenance did not change but for his grin slipping a bit each time she decided she had not had enough. He saw the first tear escape out her eye and let loose a sigh.

Ending all pretense, he stood in mid-air directly above her and peered down, eyes shadowed by the ridiculous hat. Her face was crestfallen as she surveyed the situation. Slowly she crumpled to the ground, all means of fighting exhausted. He came down to join her, crouching to be at her level. Keigo and Mizuiro, quiet bystanders in all this, made to come over as well, but the proprietor shooed them back with a glance. Speaking low so only she could hear, he said, "Now, how do you feel?"

"Twisted. Confused. Wrung out." Each came with a deep inhalation of air. "And so, so...alone. God, she's gone only a day, and he's barely left…" Her voice hitched. "And here I am, a mess." Nodding in silent understanding, the man stood, casting his shadow over the fallen fighter.

"That's good, good. Remember how you feel now, and never let go of it." He paused, and she cast her eyes up toward him. "It will be essential if you are to progress any further."

"Further? To what?" Her words sounded hesitant, but her eyes had a slight spark beginning to form.

"That is for you to decide." He held out a hand, and for a moment Tatsuki reached out to take it. The spark fully formed, she batted it aside and picked herself up off the ground. She cast one long look around the place before turning to the once-again smiling man.

"Thank you. I must be going now." He nodded but did not speak. Gathering her cohorts, she briskly ascended the stairs and left the shop. Tessai came over to his boss.

"Kisuke, what purpose did that serve?"

The man in question shrugged. "A catalyst. To what remains to be seen. But she'll be back."

The former Kido corps leader twitched his mustache at this. "What makes you so confident of this?"

"She never even got my name. She got nothing, really, but a lesson in how far she needs go. So she'll be back as soon as she grasps that.

"Should I make some tea, then?"

"Tessai, my man, I believe Ururu has already beaten you to the punch." Kisuke cast a wistful glance at the sky-like ceiling. "Wise girl." Cocking his hat just a bit, he trotted up to prepare for the catalyst to ignite.

**A.N. 2 –** I wanted to do a one-shot drabble; I prefer reading and writing short-form fiction. Now this little ficlet has ideas about continuing itself. If it were to go on, it'd be about Urahara's training of Tatsuki (thus the fic's current title - I'm open to suggestions), with a good dose of Yoruichi thrown in. Tatsuki would _not_ become a soul reaper; she is merely going to slowly realize her potential. Anybody interested in this?


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N – **And so it continues. I was glad to see some people interested in this story moving forward, as I didn't really feel this was just a one-shot. I have the next three or four chapters planned out, so hopefully I'll be updating around once a week. I'd also love it if someone out there would do some beta work on this, as my current beta does not know Bleach. Lastly, I do not own Bleach, nor do I profit from this work in any way.

**Chapter 2**

Tastuki got a couple of blocks away from Urahara Shoten and felt no calmer than she had before the fight. The strange man spoke sense, yes, but it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. _No one_ wanted to hear that they were weak, that they weren't needed. Tatsuki had used all of her resolve to leave the shop in a dignified manner, but now that she was outside under the night sky, she was finding it harder to maintain a level head. She was reminded of this as, a couple of blocks later, the protestations of her friends stopped her.

"Can't…breathe…" Keigo managed. Mizuiro was no better, having gone slightly blue in the face from the hold Tatsuki had around his neck. Harumphing slightly, she let them go. Keigo looked like he wanted to say something, but Mizuiro knew better than to let him. Rapping him upside the head, he bowed slightly to Tatsuki and the duo made their escape. Tatsuki looked after them, trying not to seethe.

As they faded into the nighttime shadows, Tatsuki felt lost. She replayed the conversation she'd had with the shop owner over and over in her head. With each tangent she latched on, her feet took her to a different place. She found herself at the dojo she trained at, staring at the locked door. How she wanted to go in there and pound her frustrations into a punching bag. But that would only sate her temporarily.

She made her way to the neighborhood park, lost in the memories of her childhood with Ichigo. How she'd always bested him when they sparred together as kids, and how she always had his back. Her pace slowed as she recalled how shell-like Ichigo had been after his mother's death. She'd tried her best to be there for him through everything, but it was that horrible moment, she realized, when he'd started distancing himself from her. This separation had just been exacerbated recently.

She wound her way back to her house, but paused outside the front door. She used to sit her with Orihime all the time. When Ichigo had grown distant, Orihime had slid into his place a bit in her mind. Truthfully, Orihime needed a lot more protecting than Ichigo ever did. And she'd failed her in that. Tatsuki hung her head as she sat on her front step. Everything had all gone so wrong. Tatsuki just felt like a passenger in this mockery of her life.

But she didn't have to be, though. She ran over the words the hat-and-clogs guy had said to her earlier: "Remember how you feel now, and never let go of it. It will be essential if you are to progress any further."

She didn't know to what she'd be progressing toward, but it had to be better than what she was feeling now. Resolute, she stood up and headed back to where she'd been. Past the park and its memories. Past the dojo and its promises unfulfilled. She had just entered the alleyway that led to the derelict shop when she had the sense of being followed.

Quickly pivoting around, Tatsuki saw nobody. There wasn't anywhere to hide, and she heard no telltale footsteps dashing away. Shrugging, she turned back to the shop only to feel a slight pressure on her leg. Glancing down, she saw a black cat nuzzling her ankle. Mentally berating herself for being so paranoid, Tatsuki crouched down and scratched the cat behind its ears. It purred contentedly for a moment before wiggling its way out from under her hand and scampering off toward the store. Tatsuki followed it.

The cat climbed the wooden steps and nudged aside the door, then sat and waited for Tatsuki to make up her mind to follow it again. Tatsuki was a bit taken aback by the feline's actions. It had waltzed up to the door and opened it like it owned the place, yet Tatsuki was sure she hadn't seen the cat when she'd been in there before. Of course, she'd been just the littlest bit distracted then, but still! Following a cat into a building sure sounded like breaking and entering to her. Tatsuki stared up at the shop, lost in thought.

"Yawn…I'm waiting over here, you know?"

Tatsuki gave a start and looked around, sure she was hearing things. That was not the shopkeeper's voice, nor was it any of her friends. Convinced the evening's events were finally getting to her, she spun around and stared back home.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Tatsuki froze to the spot. The voice – the same one she swore to herself she had not heard - had come from behind her. Slowly craning her neck to look over her shoulder, the cat sitting in the shop's entryway was the only thing that greeted her.

"Hello."

Dumbstruck, Tatsuki took a few stumbling steps backwards. The cat just talked, and Tatsuki's brain wasn't sure it wanted to handle that at the moment. She'd heard about Orihime being taken away, and Ichigo going after her, and all the crazy stuff associated with that, but this of all things caught her out. The cat sauntered off the porch to come over to the stock-still teen.

"This must be a shock, I know." Tatsuki felt herself nod, and fumed at herself for actually responding to the talking cat. "Just follow me inside, and I'll explain. Well, if you pass."

"Pass what?" Tatsuki found herself asking.

"A test of sorts. Like Kisuke did with you earlier. He says you're up to snuff, but I want to see for myself." The cat made its way inside with its captive audience.

"So let me get this straight. This Kisuke, who I assume is the shop owner," the cat inclined its head. "has a cat come and tell me that I need to fight it, to prove something. How much more ridiculous can this night get?"

The cat nudged the door shut, then turned back to the girl. "Kisuke and I are in this together, and we tend to collaborate on decisions like this." The cat chuckled, which sounded more like a contented low purr. "Girl, do you really think he'd have you fight a cat?"

Tatsuki's eyes grew wide as the cat before her vanished. In its place was a purple-haired, dark-skinned woman, sans clothing. She quickly dropped her gaze from the now actually chuckling woman. "You and Ichigo both have the same reaction."

Both women turned at a sound from across the shop. "Kisuke, were you there watching the whole time?" The aforementioned shopkeep stepped out from the kitchen, sheepishly holding out a bundle of clothing. "Should've known." The nude woman sighed and grabbed the garments.

Tatsuki just goggled at the display before her. The older woman shrugged on the outfit and turned to address her. "I'm Yoruichi Shihoin and this," she pointed at the man pulling his hat down as far as it'd go, "is Kisuke Urahara, this shop's owner. Now, this _genius_ here says you have potential. Not that I doubt his word, but I'd like to see if you check out as well."

Tatsuki gulped. If this woman, Yoruichi, was anything like Kisuke Urahara, she was not sure she'd pass muster. Steeling herself, she looked the striking woman in the eyes and said, "I'm game."

Urahara sighed and made toward the vast subterranean room. "I guess Ururu will have to put that tea on hold."


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. –** This was supposed to be out last Tuesday, but work had other ideas for me. Should've known. I will try from now on to have a chapter out every Tuesday. Additionally, I am still looking for a beta for this fic. Lastly, I don't own Bleach; what made you think that?

**Chapter 3**

Tatskui found herself again descending the stairs to the massive subterranean training room beneath Urahara's shop. This time, however, no sneaking around was necessary. She was flanked by the proprietor himself, and the imposing figure of Yoruichi Shihoin. The latter was speaking to her as they made their way down the steps.

"This is going to be different than your 'fight' with Kisuke was." Tatsuki did not miss the dismissive emphasis on the word fight.

"Oh yeah, how so?" she responded, feeling herself rise to the bait she knew she was being presented with.

"For one thing, I'm actually going to be throwing blows at you, not just blocking like the lazy bum over here was. And I won't hold back…much. No need to bruise your ego along with your flesh." Tatsuki bristled more, inwardly marveling at how adept this woman was at weaving words to entice opponents.

"I don't see any problem with that," Tatsuki said simply as they reached the earthy floor.

'I'm glad," was all Tatsuki heard before she found herself propelled across the room. She detachedly noted that Urahara had calmly stopped on the bottom step, fan perched in front of his face. That innocently bystanding bastard… Then Tatsuki hit a rock, and she had no more time to rant at those who'd stand by and let her get pulverized. All her effort went into regaining her breath and equilibrium.

Yoruichi stood, palm outstretched, across the expanse. She seemed in no hurry to chase down her quarry. She lowered the hand that'd delivered the blow and placed it cockily on her hip. She watched the girl struggle to stand, using the rough stone as support. She'd planned on using shunpo to arrive where Tatsuki had landed, just to see her reaction, but Yoruichi decided to lay off for the time being. She didn't think she was going to take the high school student _that much_ by surprise.

Tatsuki blearily looked at Yoruichi, taunting etched in her pose at the base of the stairs. She was not going to let this woman toss her aside, no matter how out of her league she seemed to be. Resolve hardened, Tatsuki mirrored Yoruichi's pose and beckoned her over. Yoruichi seemed to contemplate complying, but instead relaxed.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked the teen.

Why, indeed? Tatsuki unconsciously dropped her stance, stumped far more than she should be about the query. The simple answer was to protect her friends. She knew that that would not be sufficient for Yoruichi. After all, from the little she'd gleaned, Tatsuki was sure Ichigo was plenty capable of taking care of himself. Orihime, for that matter, had gotten stronger as well. Tatsuki couldn't very well let go of the protective nature she felt for those two. But that alone was not impetus enough for her to pass Yoruichi's muster.

What else, then, was important enough for Tatsuki to put herself through the unknown for? To get stronger? Because there was not a challenge left for her in Karakura town? Because, at her very core, she was a fighter? They all held some glimmer of truth, but none encapsulated everything she was after.

Tatsuki leaned against the rock now, rather than bracing herself upon it. She failed to notice Yoruichi grow impatient with Tatsuki's reverie and start over.

Tatsuki's mid was troubled. What _was_ she here for?

She was not prepared for Yoruichi's leg to sweep hers out from under her, nor the following fist to her abdomen. Tatsuki tumbled to the ground, half blacking out as her head hit the unforgiving ground. Stars danced at the corners of her eyes, and the only thought going through her mind was of survival.

For a moment, Yoruichi thought the girl was going slip into unconsciousness. Tatsuki was not willing to let that happen. It was not her style to take the easy way out of this combat. Yoruichi saw this, the faint glimmer in the teen's swimming eyes that spoke of hope. Still, that was not enough. Tatsuki was still sprawled out, trying to get up, and Yoruichi was readying another attack.

Tatsuki screamed at herself to move, dammit, but to no avail. If her survival instinct was not enough to spur her on, then what was? Tatsuki saw Yoruichi's fist, alight with pulsing reiatsu, descending at her face. This didn't feel right; none of this felt right. Why? She'd fought tooth-and-nail for all her life, and now she was reduced to this after a couple of blows?

No. No, this could not be. These seemingly disparate personas did not mesh. Eyes hardening, Tatsuki forced herself not to blink. She had to bury this doubting voice that was dragging her down. But with imminent demise fast approaching, seeing that idea through to fruition was next to impossible. Chanting 'I will not die' over and over seemed useless. Tatsuki did not believe that this possibly could be what fate had written down for her.

Tatsuki snapped out of the trance-like state she'd been in. Pressing her palms flat against the ground, she thrust her legs up as Yoruichi dove upon her. The older woman was flipped over the no-longer-prone girl on the ground. Tatsuki stood, locking eyes with the dark-skinned woman as she, too, righted herself. Tatsuki spoke clearly, "Why am I doing this? It is what I am destined to do, and I will not waver from my path."

Yoruichi broke into a wide grin. "Is that so? Then, prepare yourself!"

She flash-stepped across the room to Tatsuki, socking her in the stomach and sending the girl sprawling against the rocks, but not crumbling to the floor.

"I can take a hit, y'know," Tatsuki held back a sneer, trying to be respectful of this woman who had so far done mostly the same for her.

"But you won't need to take any, if you can follow my movements. Come on now, focus!" Yoruichi sprang into action again, raining a series of blows upon Tatsuki from many different angles. The younger woman got the occasional forearm or leg up to intercept the impacts, but she could not mask the winces each time Yoruichi connected.

The duo sparred for close to 15 minutes before Yoruichi relented. Kisuke nodded his approval from his perch on the stairs. Tching under her breath at him, she made her way over to Tatsuki, crouching down behind a boulder and holding her ribs. "You have a ways to go, kid, but you've got something. Hold on to that, and never let it go," she instructed.

Tatsuki chuckled painfully. "What, are you two rehearsing speeches now, too?" Yoruichi looked affronted. "Never mind. So, what's next?"

"I think Tessai might have to take a look at you if you want to walk upright…or at all tomorrow," Yoruichi began.

"Tea's ready…" a small voice announced from the top of the stairs. "Again."

"That'd be Ururu, and our cue," Kisuke smiled behind him fan and motioned up.


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. –** Geez, it's been two whole months since I last posted a chapter. I have a myriad of excuses, none of which y'all want to hear, so I'll shut up and continue with the story. Just know that I still don't have a beta for this, and that I don't in any way own Bleach or profit from this work. Oh, and I'm stretching Tessai and Ururu's known abilities just a bit, to make them more than just bystanders in all this.

**Chapter 4**

Tessai was waiting for them in the shop once the group climbed out of the training room. He set to work at once with bandages and salve. The speed and tightness of his handiwork caused Tatsuki to wince. Ururu had set down tea and some cookies on the table and had backed away against a wall to sit. Tatsuki, once Tessai pronounced her doctored up, took the last remaining seat at the table.

She looked from Kisuke's inscrutable face to Yoruichi's becalmed countenance. They reached for their tea and took a sip at the same time, and Tatsuki couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. Yoruichi quirked an eyebrow at the teen, noticing but letting the gesture slide. Tessai remained still, not reaching for any food or drink, but Tatsuki couldn't resist the warming scent of the tea. She sipped, content.

At length, once the tea and cookies were but a memory in mind and bellies, Yoruichi turned to Tatsuki, seriousness replacing her normal look. "Well, down to business." Tatsuki perked up from her loll and looked attentive. "Kisuke and I have been discussing it, and are willing to train you up." A smile formed on Tatsuki's lips; hearing an affirmation that these last couple of encounters weren't for nothing pleased her to no end. "However," Yoruichi went on, "we have to start small."

The smile fell quickly, replaced by an indignant scowl. Kisuke half sat up, anticipating the outburst Tatsuki was trying to hold back. She failed. "So, what was it we were fighting for, then? To toy with me? To get some pleasure out of seeing a weaker opponent put in their place? To get me to quit? Huh? Answer me!"

Tatsuki sat there in a huff, mentally berating herself for losing it like she had. Kisuke slouched back down, letting Yoruichi be the mouthpiece. The older woman scooted closer to Tatsuki, looking her levelly in the eyes.

"It's for none of those reasons. You probably don't want to hear it, but with your current spiritual power, you will not last too long against any sort of enemy." Tatsuki, determined to be contrite to make up for her rash behavior, mutely nodded her head. "We can't all be as naturally gifted as Ichigo, after all. He's the exception to the rule. You, thankfully, are far more normal than he is."

"Normal is good, then?" Tatsuki was amused. "A high school girl who can see spirits, fight them, and has friends off in another world…anyone else would think I'm anything but normal."

"That may be, but your circle of friends is, almost without exception, spiritually aware in some form or another." Yoruichi paused for thought. "Each of them is different, with a distinct set of skills. You, on the other hand, were up until recently flying under the radar, spiritually speaking. My guess is that Orihime's abduction, along with prolonged contact with Ichigo, has led you to subconsciously push your spiritual self to the fore. As with Ichigo, we can't let this go unchecked. You'd inadvertently draw danger to yourself. Sooner or later, whether you came to us or not, our assistance was going to be needed. I'm relieved in a way that you took the initiative."

Tatsuki took a minute to digest all of that. "But I wouldn't have even known about you guys had I not followed Ichigo here. All I knew was that he…and Orihime were involved in something dangerous, and I was slowly becoming more cognizant of it. I really wanted to stay out of this, because deep down I knew it'd all lead to trouble."

Yoruichi nodded. "That is the trouble with you. Because you are both spiritually aware and yet reluctant to be so, I can only hazard guesses as to where your strengths and weaknesses lie. The first part of your training will be to establish with certainty your spiritual profile, so to speak. But not tonight. I think you've earned a short reprieve from our tutelage, such as it was."

Tatsuki nodded in agreement, but stopped herself. "I understand all of that, but I'm still waiting for an answer to my question. If the first part of my training is going to be sussing out what I can and can't do, why did Kisuke humor me in our fight, and why did you then have me fight against you, Yoruichi?"

"I didn't exactly give you a clear answer, did I?" Yoruichi smiled, full of mirth an mischief as she looked at Tatsuki. "Know this — I won't always be this forthcoming with you. However, since you're new at this, I'm not going to lie to make you feel better. I fought you to gauge if your heart was really in this, or if your decision had come spur-of-the-moment after witnessing Ichigo depart. I needed to test your determination after you'd been beaten down, to see if your willingness to suffer for your betterment was still intact. I needed to see that you wouldn't crack when you thought you were ready to take on the world and proved not to be.

"Most importantly, I had to be absolutely certain that you'd keep moving forward, no matter what. What would the point be of training you only to have you either quit or rush off halfway through? I believe you have passed muster in all respects."

Tatsuki, if at all possible, looked prouder than ever before. Yoruichi stood up and offered Tatsuki her hand. This time, Tatsuki took it and shook it. "We will meet again soon," Yoruichi said. "Be on the lookout for a certain black cat. It's the most discreet way to pass information." Yoruichi grinned again. "Just don't let anyone see you gabbing away at a cat. Now, it's getting late, so you'd best be on your way. You have school in a couple of hours, if I'm not mistaken."

Tatsuki spared a glace at the clock on the wall and cringed. It was close to two a.m. Her mom would be irate when she found out her daughter was out that late. As polite as she could be, Tatsuki said her goodbyes, gathered her things and dashed home. Yoruichi watched her go. She turned her head from the doorway back to the others who'd said nothing during the conversation. Kisuke was the one who broke the silence with one word. "Tessai?"

"I sense nothing but genuineness from her," the mustached man said. "Her strength is both an asset and a hindrance; she'll take to physical tasks well, but I fear she'll be lacking elsewhere."

"Ururu?" the proprietor inclined his head to the girl in the corner.

"I did not get an evil aura from her. She is safe, for now."

"Good. Yoruichi?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I leave this first part up to you? I think she needs to be out in the real world, getting a grasp of all that's spiritual around her. I think she'd warm up to you easier anyway."

"You just want to laze around the shop," Yoruichi put on an irritated look, belied by the jest in her voice. "Fine by me. You do realize you're giving me the reins to mold her how I see fit, right? You sure you want that?"

"I trust you, Yoruichi. If Tatsuki learns the basics from you, then I'm more inclined to trust her as well." Kisuke left it at that and turned to go to bed.

"Tomorrow, then." With one last grin, Yoruichi retired for the evening.


End file.
